Bad News

Yesterday was a day that was very stressful I am relieved that the day is behind us. My wife had a miscarriage. I believe that this was in Gods hands and that there is a reason for these things to happen. Thank you for all of your support and comments along the way. I will be taking some time from posting for the time being. We both need some time to digest what has happened. We will take some time to heal but we are planning to try again.

Colds During Pregnancy

My wife is around 13 weeks in her pregnancy and this last week she developed a cold. She thinks that it may be bronchitis. She can not seem to shake this bug. She has been coughing, exhausted and stuffed up. Is there anything that may help her get over this except rest and eating healthy? We have also heard that she is not able to use antibiotics. Is this true?

I did find the following nonmedical treatments (http://www.drspock.com/article/0,1510,5985,00.html):

• Drink plenty of fluids, as this will help to thin secretions. Water, chicken soup, juices, and warm tea are good sources.
• Use a humidifier. Place it close to your face when you sleep. During the day, you can make a tent out of a sheet draped over your head. Stay under the tent for 15 minutes, three or four times a day.
• Rub a mentholated product (like Vicks Vaporub) on your chest according to package instructions.
• For nasal stuffiness, use saline drops. You can buy these at drugstores or prepare a solution at home. Just dissolve 1/4 teaspoon salt in 8ounces of water. Place a few drops in each nostril, wait 5 to 10 minutes, and then gently blow your nose.
• To make breathing easier, sleep in a recliner or prop up your head with lots of pillows so that you are in a semi-upright position.
• Take a warm shower. This can help clear nasal stuffiness and mucus.
• Get plenty of rest.
  

Digital Media

It is amazing the videos that you can find on the Internet about pregnancy and childbirth. Below you will find a sample of the videos that I found on You Tube.

3D Medical Animation of Normal Vaginal Birth (Childbirth)



Has anyone every seen these two movies before? Below you will find the trailers to these movies. They look both educational and funny.

Fetal Development in Pregnancy Week 12

I subscribed about two months ago to Baby Center. Each week I am emailed what should be taking place with our pregnancy. Below you will find a small expert from the email. You can read the rest of the Week 12 info here.



Your baby's hit the 2-inch mark (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce. Her face is beginning to look more human. Her eyes, which started out on the sides of her head, have moved closer together on her face, and her ears are near their final positions on the sides of her head. Your baby's intestines, which have grown so rapidly that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into her abdominal cavity about now. Her kidneys are secreting urine into her bladder. Her nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly, and synapses (neurological pathways in the brain) are forming. Your baby may have acquired more reflexes by now, including sucking, and she'll even squirm if you prod your abdomen, though you still won't be able to feel her movement for several weeks.

Cord Blood Saving

What does everyone think about Cord Blood Banking? I was talking to a friend and they asked me what I thought about this. I went to the Cord Blood Society of Canada website and found the following information. Cord Blood is collected after a baby is safely delivered and it contains a rich source of stem cells. These cells can be used for life-saving and regenerative applications for stem cells and new applications for stems cells are being discovered everyday. What do you think ethically or as a parent/parent to be? Do any of you know, from first hand knowledge or from others who have done this? If so, how did it work?

Living close to Alberta I also found a link to the Alberta Cord Blood Bank. You can find a great deal of information here including a pamphlet with great information.

Help: What Can We Expect?

I think the video below is a great in explaining the thoughts that we have about being parents for the first time. Any suggestions for us? Anything we should do before our life changes in less than 200 days?

Exhausted or Tired?

ZZZZZZ! The two of us are both exhausted and tired, and I am not even the pregnant one. Any suggestions other than getting more sleep?

Happy Mother's Day

According to Wikipedia the history of Mother's Day is the following:

People in different countries celebrate Mother's Day on different days of the year because the day has a number of different origins. One school of thought claims this day emerged from a custom of mother worship in ancient Greece. Mother worship — which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of gods and the wife of Cronus; was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome itself from the Ides of March (March 15 to March 18). The Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia, that was dedicated to Juno, though mothers were usually given gifts on this day.

In the United States, Mother's Day was copied from England by social activist Julia Ward Howe after the American Civil War. Howe wrote the Mother's Day Proclamation. In the UK, the day now simply celebrates motherhood and thanking mothers. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother's Day is now the most popular day of the year to dine out at a restaurant in the United States.

Besides dining out what are the best gifts for Mother's Day?

Summer Holidays

With the summer quickly approaching us we were thinking about what we would be doing this summer. Here are some tips that I found:

Here are seven tips to keep in mind if you’re planning on traveling when pregnant:

1. Travel in comfort, not in style. Yes, you used to be okay with wearing your three-inch heels even when you had to run for airplanes but that’s not the case while you’re pregnant. Being pregnant is often uncomfortable so you should do what you can to minimize discomfort. Wear comfortable clothing, in layers that can be added to and removed as your body temperature changes. Upgrade to the first class seats on flights.
2. Practice de-stressing techniques. Travel is stressful. Flights get delayed, busses break down and you often take wrong turns. Compound this with the emotions you’re already swinging through as a pregnant women and travel can be the thing that brings tears to your eyes. Practice meditation and relaxation techniques in advance of your trip to help you cope when things get rough on the road.
3. Know where the bathrooms are. You’re going to need to go to the bathroom more frequently when you’re pregnant (as you surely already know) so make sure you know where they’re at when you travel. Airports, train stations and rest areas should always be on your radar.
4. Play the pregnant card. Many independent women don’t like to be given special treatment just because they’re pregnant. Pish tosh. Pregnant women get to board planes early and get extra assistance with their luggage because it’s the safe and healthy way to travel. Don’t be so stubborn that you’ll deny yourself the help you need.
5. Don’t overdo it. Along those same lines, you have to remember that being pregnant takes a lot out of you. Yes, the conference runs all day and into the night or the relatives want to show you every tourist attraction in their town. Remember that it’s okay to say “no”, to rest in your room when you need to and to admit that the process of travel itself might take so much out of you that you can’t do as much as you’d like on your trip.
6. Know the rules. There’s a certain time period after which it is not advisable to fly while pregnant. There are immunizations required for certain countries which are not good for the health of the fetus inside you. Know the rules about your mode and destination of travel before you go. Then follow them!
7. Consult a physician. Most people don’t want to bug their doctor with a whole bunch of questions, but that’s what she’s there for. You are better off safe than sorry so whether you’re planning a weekend getaway by car or an overseas trip by plane, bring it up with your doctor and discuss all of the dangers and options before you travel.

Are there any vacations that you would recommend or avoid based on the fact that we are expecting towards the end of November? We have been discussing Victoria, Las Vegas or just spending time at the lake (as well as working on our basement).

Fetal Development in Pregnancy Week 11

I subscribed about a month ago to Babby-Gaga to get a Pregnancy Ticker (see the top of my page). Each week I am emailed what should be taking place with our pregnancy. Below you will find a small expert from the email. You can read the rest of the Week 11 info here.

Maybe you’ve noticed… your child is a stupendous grower! They will be gaining a substantial amount of weight this week, and have already achieved fruit-size-status comparable to a plum. Your little scientist is already starting to explore their body, focusing most intently on touching their head, and especially their face and mouth. The mouth in particular will provide them with hours of entertainment. This happens not only because your baby is gaining coordination, and is therefore able to move a hand on command, but also because their palms have gained sensation and can actually “feel” what it touches.They're also developing their swallow reflex this week. And lastly, your baby's smelling and other olfactory senses begin developing this week, which when combined with the maturing taste buds, will provide your baby with their first experiences of taste and smell.

Worth Thinking About

I got one of those chain emails today, the ones I normally get frustrated when receiving and delete with a click of the mouse. For some reason I decided to read it and it continued to put things into perspective for me. Earlier this week during our scare made me think about what I was doing in life. Things that seemed to be important did not seem so important. How many times in life are we told that it is the little things in life that mean so much. We need to settle down and enjoy every moment in life and not just look for the grass that is greener on the other side. I guess the list from the chain letter below was a reminder for me. I hope that this helps you out in your busy lives and puts things back into perspective. Any solutions for our busy lives?

• Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.
• Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.
• Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.
• Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by.
• Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.
• Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.
• Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.
• Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.
• Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.
• Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.
• Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.
• Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

• And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day.............

Nervous Moments: No Heartbeat at 10 Weeks

We were both anxious to get back to our jobs after the weekend and the day started off with a beautiful morning, no wind and warm. My wife had a doctor appointment close to lunch to ensure that she could fly out east. Everything seemed to be going well until I got a call from my wife. She told me that the doctor was unable to hear the baby's heartbeat. My heart skipped a beat, I knew that I had to be able to support my wife, but I was in shock. I was sure that this news had to be negative, I thought the worst. We have had some concerns over the last two weeks as my wife had been spotting and very tired. The doctor set up an ultrasound two hours later. I started to panic...

I came home for lunch and thought I would be meeting my wife. She was not at home.. I was concerned and called her at work. She had been given more bad news but not related to the pregnancy. I went to the Internet and looked at how common it is for a doctor to not hear a heartbeat, especially after 10 weeks. For the most part what I found did not look good. A few articles indicated that the baby can shift in the uterus and a heartbeat may not be heard. When my wife finally arrived I showed her all of the good articles I found and excluded the negative ones. I thought I needed to stay positive for both of us, I am reading The Secret right now and it talks about how you have to stay positive and use the law of attraction. I started to think about the day we are blessed with a baby and holding it for the first time. I told my wife to do the same thing. This may sound corny but it did make us feel better.

The wait at the ultrasound clinic seemed to last forever. When we were taken into the room I felt tense and anxious. We did see the baby right away, then I saw it move. We then saw the heart beating on the screen. It felt like the weight had been lifted off my chest. I could see color going back into my wife's face. We then had to wait about five minutes before we were told it looked like everything was all right. Below you will see two pictures of the ultrasound. If you look close you can see arms and feet. What a relief.

After seeing our heart beat of our little gaffer, I knew that all of our other problems were really so trivial. The bad news she got earlier did not seem so bad. The gift of life far surpasses any hardships--which helps to put everything into perspective....I think our little guy/gal will be a great little hide and seeker!!

How common is it for a doctor to not be able to hear a heartbeat but an ultrasound picks it up?

Huggies Virtual Room Creator

Huggies Virtual Room Creator is a web based program that allows you to decorate your baby's or toddler's room with the click of a mouse. I especially like the floor plan decorator as I was able to build a room with the actual dimensions of the room we will be using. At this site you can also do things like create a mosaic of you and your baby, create an online story book, look at products and view special offers. I know that I am beginning to sound like and advertiser but this site is a lot of fun.

Baby Furniture

This week I will be focusing my posts on baby furniture. Yesterday we were at SEARS and started looking through the baby furniture and toys. It was sure a lot of fun and when I looked at the prices I realized that we need to be saving money in a hurry. The selection was abundant and we found many things that we liked. When is the best time to start making purchases? I talked to one couple that started buying things after 12 weeks. That does seem early but the research I have done tells me that after 12 weeks and hearing a heartbeat means the chances of a problem are less than 1%. Please give us some advice on when we should start purchasing items, how much it will cost, the best places to shop, must have items and anything else that may help us out.

Decorating the Baby Room

We have been gone for the last couple of days but I am ready to start posting again. Today, we started talking about decorating a baby room. At first I thought we should not paint this room, as we just painted it roughly two years ago, but my wife really wants to change the colour.

She is thinking about a light green colour and I think that would be OK because the football team I love is green and white.

I decided to do some searching on the Internet to find out what others think about painting a baby room.

Painting Baby's Room - Creative Ideas for Painting a Baby Nursery by Rebecca Johnson

This article gives the following suggestions:

• Stencil a board around the room
• Decorate and put up a chair rail around the room
• Paint vertical stripes around the room
• Paint a mural on one of the walls

Ideas for Decorating Baby Rooms, General Baby Room Decor and Nursery Decoration

This article gives the following suggestions:

• Coordinate nursery bedding and window coverings
• Use a calm color scheme (ie. mint green, aqua)
• see also Color Meaning, Color Psychology & Color Therapy

So when is it the right time to start to Decorate a Baby Room? Any suggestions when painting or decorating the room?

Pregnancy Stories

I am looking for a good laugh. We all know that a good laugh is needed in our busy lives.

Here is a funny story I heard the other day.

Mr Jones rushed into the local emergency room shouting, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" The ER physician grabbed his bag, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly he noticed that there were several cabs, and he'd gotten in the wrong one.

Do you have any other funny stories for me? Please leave me a post.